We woke up in the “Little Apple” after my first night in my 50th state. The toasty Kansas air greeted us as we trekked to the truck for our final day of travel. Today’s route didn’t pass through Route 66 or into ghost towns or mountains—it was a relatively benign journey to Kansas City. Before … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—Ending with Kansas City
We woke up in Carthage, MO effortlessly, undeterred the night before by the torrential rain and intense winds that soaked our truck and whipped the trees against our window. We bid a friendly goodbye to our motel attendant and went to wander around the square in the center of town. Tiny, quiet shops lined the … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—From Manhattan, NY to Manhattan, KS
The first time I tackled Route 66 was over 4 years ago. On that trip, we started in the little town of Amarillo, TX (searching for a route map that we never did find) and skated on through to New Mexico and Arizona full of desert back roads, ghost-like ruins, and vast expanses of open highway … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—Kicks on Missouri Route 66
On the road again—we set off early in the morning with a final destination of St. Louis. Our first detour of the day was a stop in Elizabethtown due to Katie’s love for the movie. It was only 45 minutes south and allowed us to skip a portion of I-64 for some prettier backroads. The … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—Thunderstorms & St. Louis Blues
We paid for our all-night dive bar party the next morning…err…afternoon. That Kentucky heat felt like the surface of the sun when we finally emerged from our hotel, squinting like newborn birds. Desperate for nutrients, we walked over to Wild Eggs for breakfast. Tucked into a quiet street, Wild Eggs perfectly satisfied our need for … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—Louisville Sluggers and Fried Chicken
Our rafting clothes did not dry overnight in the truck. I started my day off with a damp hiking shirt and even damper sneakers. This morning we went off to hike the Long Point Trail, a 3.2 mile loop that offers an awesome view of the New River Gorge Bridge. It was a Monday, so … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—Long Point Trail and on to Louisville
Katie has been trying to convince me to go whitewater rafting for weeks. She insists that it’s a positively benign undertaking and not the river deathtrap I envision it to be. After both reading positive reviews and viewing some harrowing videotape footage (big mistake) we decided to just speak to the rafting office after we … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—West Virginia Whitewater Rafting
It was that time again—getting back on the road. This trip would bring me to my final 4 states in the 50 states by the age of 30 challenge that I have been undertaking with my girlfriend since our first big trip 4 ½ years ago. We needed to cover West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and … Continue reading Finishing 50 States—West Virginia Hills & Valleys
Most of my posts are lighthearted or inquisitive, and I don’t intend for this one to be much of a deviation, despite the focus. We lost a beautiful soul last week, my stepmother Ella. I could tell you all about the ache of loss, and the process of re-normalizing a life without somebody very important. … Continue reading In Honor of Ella
*Breathe in* --this is a critical “1st step” after getting up in the morning, in advance of facing an outside world that is still as chaotic and intense as it was yesterday (when that fails, there are 3 liquor stores within a 3 minute sprint of this apartment). The country is still in a state … Continue reading Zucchini Fritters with Lemon Dill Yogurt Dip
